The fusion of Toji's terrifying explosive power and a blade sharp enough to distort the air created a killing blow. Just as it was about to pierce Kenmei...
ZING!!!
An ear-piercing, high-pitched screech tore through the air!
A previously invisible barrier materialized under the pressure of Toji's attack. Its calm surface vibrated violently, sending out ripples of iridescent light.
As the immense force of Toji's strike clashed with the shield, the shockwave swept across the ground, kicking up dust and rock fragments.
It was a clash between an immovable object and an unstoppable force, the momentum rivaling the charge of a thousand armies!
Stubbornly, Toji dragged his blade down the barrier. The sound of metal cutting against the energy shield was enough to make teeth ache and scalps tingle.
The Psychic Shield, which Kenmei had spent 80 Mana to construct, was actually groaning under the strain of Toji's blade, emitting sounds like tearing fabric.
Toji wasn't holding back anything with this strike!
But a human isn't a machine. Once the initial momentum of the thrust was exhausted, the follow-through lacked the power to break through.
It was almost mocking. No matter how hard Toji hammered the tip of his blade against it, the Psychic Shield—which looked like it was covered in cracks and about to shatter—simply wouldn't break.
In the end, he couldn't breach the defense. He was stopped dead, fifty centimeters away from his target.
"Tch. That's one tough turtle shell."
However, at this distance... maybe...
Just as Toji was about to reach into the "Inventory Curse's" mouth to pull out a new weapon to smash the shield...
The kid's eyes lit up with an unsettling glow. Toji's beast-like instincts immediately screamed that something was wrong.
The barrier in front of him suddenly strengthened and began to concentrate toward the tip of his blade, as if trying to trap his weapon. The feeling of unease turned into urgent anxiety.
Without hesitation, Toji made a snap decision. He abandoned the deadlock and immediately dodged to the side.
CRASH!
The shield that had been protecting Kenmei shattered the next second, exploding into tiny fragments.
But this was intentional. Kenmei used the shockwave from the shield's destruction to accelerate the psychic crystals to speeds rivaling bullets leaving a muzzle.
It was like a shotgun blast. At this range, even Toji would find it incredibly difficult to dodge.
If it were a Sorcerer, even if the psychic crystals could corrode and penetrate a Cursed Energy barrier, their power would diminish as kinetic energy was lost.
But Kenmei didn't have that worry with Toji. This guy was the only anomaly in the world with absolutely zero Cursed Energy. Forget Cursed Techniques; he couldn't even use the basic "Curtain."
Toji's reaction speed was insane, but facing an omni-directional saturation attack at point-blank range, he was forced to raise his blade to block.
His retreat was significantly slowed. He was being bombarded by a blizzard of sharp spikes; one slip-up meant getting skewered.
Clang, clang, clang.
Toji retreated while frantically parrying with his Cursed Tool. Amidst the sparks and flashes, something was bound to slip through.
Seeing dozens of blood-stained psychic crystals on the ground around Toji, Kenmei knew he had drawn first blood.
But that was just a feint.
Just as Toji was blocking the "blizzard" and about to back into a safe zone, Kenmei sprang his real trap.
Several psychic chains erupted from the ground beneath Toji's feet. Simultaneously, the air around him seemed to solidify.
A terrifying sense of crisis shot straight to Toji's brain. His heart trembled.
It was the threat of death.
"Damn it!"
Everything in front of him was suddenly engulfed in pale blue light. Whether it was the debris or the psychic shards, everything was annihilated at the molecular level by the destructive power.
The Prospero Blade. It possessed a decomposition field stronger than a chainsword, capable of cutting objects apart molecule by molecule.
The "rising dragon" uppercut attack launched at Toji came from this sickle-sword in Kenmei's hand. He simply infused it with psychic energy, and the runes on the curved blade came alive, gathering a pale blue glow.
When the terrifying energy exceeded his control, he released it all straight at Toji.
A pale blue "sword wave" tore through the night, swallowing every visible building in its path and slicing them in half.
Several large warehouses vanished in a single strike, replaced by a vast expanse of scorched, brown earth.
One can only imagine how much of a headache the government spokesperson would have tomorrow morning.
"Hmm?"
Sensing something off, Kenmei raised his curved blade to block.
CLANG!
Sparks from the grinding blades illuminated both their faces.
It was Toji Fushiguro, battered and bruised. His tight black shirt was reduced to tatters, and a distinct wound on his forehead was bleeding down his face.
Kenmei was genuinely surprised. Toji had actually appeared in front of him again. But this time, the Heavenly Tyrant was far less composed, covered in metal chains.
It was Toji's second Cursed Tool, the Chain of a Thousand Miles. He had used it to escape the binding trap earlier.
Even the caterpillar Cursed Spirit wrapped around him had scorch marks and was leaking purple blood.
"Yo, kid."
"That shot really scared the hell out of me. Too bad I didn't die."
"That is truly regrettable."
Kenmei remained expressionless, wielding his sword with one hand, defending against Toji's fierce assault with pure bladework.
Two silver blades clashed repeatedly in mid-air. Kenmei slowly shifted from defense to offense, creating small wounds on his opponent's body bit by bit.
Then, the tide of battle turned. Suddenly, the sound of tearing air was heard, followed by a brilliant flash of edge.
Blood sprayed across the sky. A sharp, cross-shaped cut appeared on Toji's body.
In the midst of the sword fight, Toji didn't even know what happened—his Cursed Tool was suddenly knocked flying from his hand.
Kenmei seized the opportunity to press the attack, instantly changing the outcome of the battle.
[Prescience]: The psyker can predict the trajectory of bullets and swords. A Divination discipline spell.
[Perfect Timing]: Predicts the enemy's actions down to the nanosecond. Also a Divination discipline spell.
[Enfeeble]: Temporarily weakens the target's physical constitution.
Three spells cast on Toji simultaneously.
This was the result of total strategic dominance.